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Shandong’s 2026 Policy Package: What Foreign Founders Operating in China Should Know

A practical overview of Shandong Province’s second 2026 economic policy list, highlighting incentives for consumption, manufacturing, AI, marine industries, environmental approvals and service-sector growth relevant to foreign-invested companies.

Shandong Releases Second 2026 Economic Policy List

The Shandong Provincial People’s Government has issued the second batch of its 2026 policy list aimed at promoting steady economic progress and higher-quality growth. The document follows central government decisions on stabilizing the economy, expanding domestic demand and improving supply, and it sets out measures intended to support the province’s opening-year goals under the 15th Five-Year Plan. For foreign founders with subsidiaries, joint ventures or representative offices in China, the list signals where provincial funding and administrative flexibility are being directed — and where opportunities may arise for companies whose products or services align with these priorities.

The measures below are drawn from the official notice and are summarized for planning purposes only. They do not create guarantees of eligibility or funding.

Consumer Demand and Service-Sector Incentives

Shandong is allocating provincial resources to stimulate consumer spending and service innovation. An allocation of RMB 40 million supports new consumption scenarios that combine multiple business formats, themed experiences and nighttime economy projects. A further RMB 60 million is designated for cities to issue retail and catering consumption vouchers.

The province also encourages performance-based tourism. It plans to build a “follow performances to travel in Shandong” brand covering music, film and animation, supports cities in developing distinctive and long-lasting premium tourism performance projects, and offers financial rewards to organizers of qualifying premium performance productions as well as qualifying concerts and music festivals.

For consumer-facing businesses, the notice includes support for market operators developing popular cultural and creative products. Provincial funds are raised to provide one-time rewards to qualifying products after a comprehensive evaluation covering originality, artistry, cultural value, social influence and communication reach.

On consumer credit, the province will implement an interest subsidy policy for personal consumption loans. For qualifying personal consumption loans and credit card installment business, the provincial finance department, coordinating central funds, will provide a subsidy of one percentage point to reduce household consumption credit costs.

Employment, Investment and Innovation Support

Provincial state-owned enterprises are encouraged to expand recruitment of university graduates. They are expected in principle to set campus recruitment plans with graduate hires accounting for no less than 65 percent of annual graduate recruitment, and to conduct autumn recruitment for the 2027 graduating class by the end of November, with recruitment information published centrally.

A RMB 50 million provincial reward fund will assess cities’ management of central budget investment, ultra-long special treasury bonds and new policy-based financial instruments in 2026. Five cities with strong results, fast progress and clear overall benefits will receive RMB 15 million, 12 million, 10 million, 8 million and 5 million respectively, to support projects that address shortcomings in social welfare and urban renewal.

To promote investment in intellectual property products, the province will build provincial proof-of-concept centers and pilot testing bases in key fields and landmark industrial chains, including embodied intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, commercial aerospace, industrial mother machines and high-end software. Qualifying initiatives will receive policy support in accordance with regulations.

Researchers are also encouraged to lead or participate in horizontal research projects. Eligible universities and research institutes may treat a single horizontal research project with received funding of RMB 500,000 or more as equivalent to a provincial science and technology plan project in job assessments and professional title evaluations.

Marine Economy, Infrastructure and Environmental Approvals

The province will arrange RMB 80 million in local government special bond funds to support national marine economy development demonstration zones and provincial modern marine industry clusters, with funds focused on improving supporting infrastructure. In high-end ship and offshore engineering equipment manufacturing, marine biomedicine, and marine new energy and new materials, Shandong will cultivate 10 new blue talent teams under the Taishan Industry Leading Talent program, with provincial funds providing RMB 3 million to 3.4 million per team annually for three consecutive years.

For transportation, energy, water conservancy and other infrastructure projects included in national and provincial key project lists, temporarily approved land, forest and grassland use may, before the reclamation or vegetation restoration period expires and after provincial confirmation, be used successively by different construction sections. The cumulative use period may not exceed the approved construction cycle.

Cities may apply to expand the pilot linking planning environmental impact assessments with project assessments to all national-level parks in the province that have completed planning assessments and to qualified provincial-level parks. This is intended to strengthen the macro guidance role of planning assessments and simplify environmental approval procedures for individual construction projects.

For strategic emerging and future industries that meet national policies and planning assessment requirements — including next-generation information technology, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, deep sea, deep earth and deep space, and the low-altitude economy — as well as special equipment manufacturing, general equipment manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, metal products and food manufacturing, cities may pilot notification-commitment approval for projects requiring environmental impact report forms.

Construction, Energy Pricing and Industrial Upgrading

Financial support for construction enterprises will be increased. Construction companies may pledge or transfer confirmed project receivables, including PPP project receivables, as assets, with financing ratios determined by financial institutions and local financial organizations based on underlying asset quality. Banks are supported in exploring mortgage and pledge lending against receivables, construction materials, engineering equipment and trademark rights in compliance with regulations. Bond financing support will be increased for green building materials, green buildings and prefabricated construction that meet conditions.

Shandong will formulate a pumped-storage hydropower pricing policy to stabilize investment expectations. For projects starting between 2025 and 2027, benchmark capacity prices will apply: RMB 487.53 per kilowatt-year for six-hour projects and RMB 459.16 per kilowatt-year for five-hour projects, tax included. Revenue-sharing ratios for electricity energy and ancillary services markets will be set in three tiers: stations retain 100 percent of revenue up to RMB 100 per kilowatt-year, 55 percent of the portion between RMB 100 and 300, and 10 percent above RMB 300, with the remainder directed to system operation fees. After commissioning, price parameters will be reviewed based on actual investment and market prices.

To stabilize the service sector, RMB 100 million will reward cities with outstanding service-sector performance in the first three quarters, with a maximum subsidy of RMB 20 million per city. About RMB 90 million will support qualifying service-sector platform enterprises after evaluation of brand-building foundations and brand improvement plans. A further RMB 150 million will support brand creation by early-stage and seed-stage small and micro enterprises and startups, while RMB 50 million will support brand upgrading in business services such as accounting, trade circulation and inspection and testing.

Shandong will also support quality projects in emerging service sectors such as AI services, research and development, inspection, testing and certification, and agricultural social services; in producer services such as internet wholesale, specialized markets, multimodal transport and warehousing; and in consumer services such as culture and tourism, medical and health care, broadcasting and film, online audiovisual and digital performance. RMB 100 million will support financial-industry linkages through relending interest subsidies and insurance subsidies. Another RMB 100 million will support recycling of scrap steel, copper and aluminum and guide operators toward compliant practices.

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Agriculture

In chemicals, steel, equipment and other key fields, cities are supported in launching “AI plus manufacturing” pioneer application challenges, with qualifying cities receiving RMB 10 million annually. Manufacturing enterprises across 31 major categories may build “AI capability centers,” with qualifying centers receiving one-time rewards and the aim of gradually achieving full coverage across key manufacturing categories. About 40 smart factory projects each year that demonstrate significant AI application results and multi-scenario implementation will receive one-time rewards. Around 30 projects annually will receive “scenario vouchers” for intelligent manufacturing applications across the province’s 19 landmark industrial chains and 67 key industrial chains. Around 30 AI terminal products each year will receive one-time rewards. Around 20 innovative products annually — humanoid robot complete machines, industrial robot complete machines and key robot components — will receive one-time rewards to improve robot application in typical manufacturing scenarios.

From 2026 to 2028, RMB 300 million will be raised annually to support qualifying villages in building or renovating facility agriculture projects.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Match your sector to the policy list: AI, robotics, marine industries, environmental services, consumer products and service platforms are explicitly mentioned.
• Watch local implementation: Many measures are implemented by cities or require qualifying evaluations, so confirm details with local authorities.
• Environmental approvals may be simplified: Pilot notification-commitment approval could shorten timelines for eligible manufacturing projects.
• Funding is often reward-based: Most support is described as one-time rewards, subsidies or assessments rather than automatic entitlements.

Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.